The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-06-08
THE CORA LEE MURDER CASE
The Defendant Appears for Trial and
Shows No Indications of Weakness.
Sheriff and Coroner Both Objected To and
Jurors To Be Chosen byan Elisor-History
of the Killing of Mrs. George T. Graham.

Springfield MOI special says. THE Cora Lee
murder case was called in the Circuit Court to-
day. The defendant appeared in court. accom-
| panied by her attorneys, and was composed as
| If in drawing room, Notwithstanding the stares
| of the spectators outside the bar. The case is
| being tried by Judge Bland of Rolla The State
| announced ready, when the defense filed objec-
tons to Sheriff Dodson summoning the jury.
Thereupon the State filed objections to Coron-
er Paxson, who would. in ordinary routine. do
this work in the sheriffs stead, and asked that
elisor be appointed.
The court sustained both objections. and APP
pointed ex-Sherif A. j. Spatter elisor and the
work of securing jury will begin tomorrow.
ibid Cora Lee murder Sarah Graham7a is a
problem the solution of which is being attempted
in the Circuit Court The circumstances con-
Meeting Cora with the dark and terrible tragedy,
the discovery of which Mortified the country
Feb. %. 1856, are truly a romance in real life,
wherein all the intensity of human passions.
weakness of human nature. terrible tempta-,
tons, strange ordinations of opposing qualities,
mystery, thlckening of plots and exciting de-
movements appear as wildly as ever did the Gre
alton of a novelist's imagination. A synopsis Of
the leading incidents connected with the Molloy-
Lee Graham sensation will read like review OF
a romance by a Ouida or GaborIau.
First on the stage of action appears Mrs.
Emma Molloy. separated from her husband on
account of infdelity, going about the country
and earning fame in both continents as an eo-
quent and successful religious and temperance
revivalist. Her zeal and enthusiasm led her
enter upon the work of prison reform. and in
person she visited and preached to the prisoners
in many penal institutions. While engaged in
this work in northern Indiana prison she met
George b. Graham, who was serving term for
grand larceny, and, recognizing him man
possessed of high talent, she took unusual
interest in his behalf While he was in prison
pardon Mrs. Molloy gave him financial assist
ance and secured situation for him, first with
II. W. Adams. publisher of religious paper.
with which she was connected. and next with
the Cook Sunday school Publishing House, in
Chicago. She then. according to her own story.
brought about the remarrlage of Graham and
his divorced wife Mrs. Molloy and George
Graham were afterward publishers of the Morn
ing and Day of Reform, at Washington, Kan.
and their intimate associations led to scandal
Gus remarks.
About two years prior to this, in April, 1882.
Mrs. Mollov engaged Cora Lee to do
ing. and close friendsh hip sprang up between
them. no doubt on account of Cora being
naturally gifted girl. Cora born Nov. IA.
1861 in southern Michigan, and her father died
Mo-. but Cora went to New Carlisle, Ind, and
lived with her aunt. Mrs. Henry Stoner. and
learned the dress-making trade. While engaged
in this occupation Mrs. Molloy, as before stated,
met her. and finally adopted her daughter,
taking her to Elgin, H., in November. 1882,
where she then resided In justice to Cora it
should be stated that she had always borne
excellent character Woodworking. respecta-
BILE girl until after her connection with Mrs
Molloy and George E. Graham, and. the
breath of scandal showered upon all
three alike. She continued to live with Mrs.
Moloy in Kansas and in Greene county, Mis-
souri,. In Washington Kan, Graham and his
wife again separated, she returning to her rela-
tives in Fort Wayne Ind. After the candidacy
of ST. John had helped TO do the work of defeat
ing Blaine for the presidency the Morning and
Day of Reform rapidly declined, and soon its
publication had to be suspended. Mrs. Molloy
then came to Springfield and addressed public
meetings Her eloquence captivated Judge
IL Raker " hACnn6 a EtAnFh PrOhi-
bitionst that he advanced money to purchase
good farm west of the city for Mrs Molloy. and
took a mortgage, with easy payments. Geo. E.
Graham was installed as manager of the farm,
and it was rnadesa place Mrs Molloy could call
her home, though she was absent on evangelistie
tours most of the time On July IL, 1855, the
following simple announcement was handed to
the daily papers:
MAREIED-At Highland Cottage. July. Is. 1885
by Rev. J. G. Plumb Mr.. George E. Graham to Misc
Cora Lee. daughter of Mrs Emma Molloy.
In September following, Graham started East.
ostensiblv to go to Fort Wayne, Ind. after his
two little boys About the same time Mrs. Sarah
Graham, of Fort Wayne and her two little boys
started to St. Louis to meet her truant husband,
being ignorant of his bigamous marriage Gra-
ham turned up here about the first of October
with his children, but Sarah Graham
The boys, drilled by their father,
wrote back to anxious relatives in Indiana that
their mother was here. but could not write
account of sore finger. Foul play was sus-
pected after weeks and months had passed
without Mrs. Sarah Graham being heard from.
Breeze,
missing woman. and T. L. Breese, her husband,
of Fort Wayne, Graham was arrested and exam
ined on the charge of bigamy. During this trial
Charlie Graham, the elder boy. testified that
they left their mother in the Union Depot. St.
Louis Meanwhile. detectives went to work
both in St Louis and Springfield. and finally
succeeded in tracing Mrs. Sarah Graham to thls
city There is old well or cave about thres
hundred Yards from the Molloy residence. and
several neighbors could not rid their minds of a
suspicion that 1t might contain a solution of the
m
1856, party under the leadership of John Pot
ter, of Brockline, took a rope and windlass and
Sarah Graham al the bottom with bullet
wound in her breast The widest excitemenr
and the most intense indignation prevailed, ane
the conclusion soon arrived at by a majority OF
the people was that George Graham, Mrs. Mol
10y and Cora Lee-all three of them-were i'm
pIicated in the murder Graham was removed
secure cage, in apprehension of mob
violence. Mrs Breeze and children were sent for
did very positively. Cora Lee arrested at
the Moloy farm, and Mrs Molloy, who was con-
Quoting successful religious revival in Peeria,
ILL.,, at the time, hurried home only to be
rested she got off the train and had
started for the hotel In company with Judge
Baker. In the meantime the local press nearly
every day contained some well written effusion
-poetical or otherwise-from the prolific pen
of George Graham, and he wrote to Judge Gel
ger a confession of the crime, in which he exon
Grated the The preliminary trial Of
Mrs Molloy and Cora Lee began March II, and
continued two weeks. The courtroom was con-
stantly packed full. and many people took
lunches with them every day, SO as to retain
their seats Cora Lee was held without bail
accessory before the fact and Mrs Molloy held
in the sum of S., 600 accessory after the fact
On the night of April q Graham taken
from Jail by mob of seventy-five masked
horsemen and hanged to oak tree in the
northwestern part Of the city. His last state
ment was that the women were innocent
Cora Lees case must inevitably be cele-
brated one. There is much evidence against
her to warrant the belief OF many that she.
aud not Graham fired the fatal shot; and yet all
the evidence is circumstantiai and may be mis-
leading The State will endeavor prove that
when Graham and his wife Sarah arrived here
from St. Louis and left the children at North
Springfield restaurant, they came over to "Old
Town" and were Joined in an ice-cream parlox
by Cora Lee who had driven to town that even
ing In a four-seated spring wagon to meet them